Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Screen Style: The Truth About Charlie

I know I've been a bit fashion-heavy the past few days, but I promise there are other tidbits to report on in life here as well. I'll be back again today, I think, with some of those goings-on. Anyway: on to the movie!


Can I just say? I know it's got a pretty rubbish IMDB rating, but I love this super-quirky remake of the old 1960s Charade! with Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. The best part? Thandie Newton takes on Hepburn's role and Marky Mark Wahlburg fills Cary Grant's shoes. I love them both: they're adorable...and Thandie Newton is so gorgeous! Forget the cinematography or the script: aside from the nostalgia value, I love the movie purely for its soundtrack and the costuming.

I'll freely admit that this movie may not be everyone's cup of tea - it certainly has its weirder moments - but some of the style in it and the overall ambeance of a rainy, early 2000s Paris is definitely worth looking at.

I also submit for your perusal, this entirely unflattering but hilarious review. Yes, you have to have seen the movie for it to make sense, and I'd also try to ignore the brutal mid-90s style of the page (black Times New Roman on a cyan background with no formatting), but there are some gems within the text.


1) Charles Aznavour's music isn't the only thing that makes a guest appearance in this movie: Aznavour himself has a random, slightly trippy, dream-sequence cameo as well! I've picked this album because it's the one featured, and also has the best song on it: Quand tu m'aimes. Lots of fun and worth a listen. Check the whole album on iTunes.
2) Whether you want a normal picnic out-of-doors, or you go for the "I've just been robbed, so let's eat on the floor" vibe that Regina and Joshua rock, this picnic set from John Lewis is a cute and classic way to get all the gear you need...except the baguette and bottle of wine, of course.
3) The French Connection navy fedora is one of the cutest I've found. If you want to have a statement hat that's at home in any snazzy weekend in the city of your choice, this is definitely the way I'd go. At least for the autumn and winter.
4) Granted, this knitted beret from H&M is sold out, but it's one of the only examples I could find that wasn't A) silly, or B) modeled on the creepiest mannequin head found on the internet.
5) The Sequin dress from MICHAEL by Michael Kors is gorgeous! If I felt like enough of a grown-up (read: had enough money!) to shop at Herrod's, I'd snap this up in a heartbeat for every date night and wedding in my foreseeable future.
6) Milly's Stella Lace Contrast Dress isn't quite as crazy and awkward as the one Thandie Newton sports in Charlie, but it definitely makes a statement. I'd like to think of it as an updated take on having a cocktail dress that's mostly black, but with a fun pop of colour.
7) Once you see the movie, you realise that stamps play a big role in the plot. This stamp-themed lampshade is tonnes of fun and could look fantastic on a monochrome table lamp. It comes from The Purple Stitches on Etsy, which is an awesome shop filled with lots of pillows & lampshades in fabulous fabrics...go have a peek.

Actually, after doing the research for this post, I was seized by the desire to make some stamp-themed art to hang over our couch. I swear I need to do something with that blank space. Once I finally get round to it, you know I'll share all the fun here on the blog.

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